One of the hottest topics of this World Cup is definitely Messi's 'Last Dance'. Messi, who is about to turn 39, is entering the World Cup stage for the 6th time in his career and is challenging Argentina's record of winning the tournament for the second time in a row for the first time in 62 years. Despite recent struggles with muscle fatigue and hamstring injuries, he continues to lead the team as Argentina's spiritual and tactical core. The Argentine Football Association was moved by the fans' sincere passion for Messi and gave tickets to fans who completed the long journey, creating a touching scene where the national team and fans became one. If Messi adds 4 goals in this tournament, he will be able to surpass Miroslav Klose's World Cup career record of 16 goals, and the world's attention is focused on whether he can win both the team's championship and his personal record.

On the other hand, France's Kylian Mbappe proved why he is the next king of soccer by scoring multiple goals in the first group match against Senegal. France completely avenged the shocking defeat they suffered against Senegal in the opening match of the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup after 24 years, and made a pleasant start to their third win in total. In particular, Mbappe scored 14 goals in the World Cup in this game, breaking Just Fontaine's record for the most goals scored by a French player in the World Cup, and at the same time, he also took the title of the highest scorer in the history of the French national team with 58 goals in international matches. Although the game was somewhat frustrating at the beginning due to a lack of sense of play, Mbappe's explosive scoring ability in the second half was a decisive moment that proved why France is a strong candidate for the championship.

The huge stage called the World Cup is becoming a cruel test for coaches. This tournament was no exception to the fact that the fate of coaches depended on the results of the first group match. The case of Tunisia's coach Sabri Ramoussi, who experienced the humiliation of a 1-5 crushing loss against Sweden, was sacked immediately after the game, clearly showing how much of an extreme job it is to walk on thin ice as a national team coach. Tunisia immediately appointed coach Herve Renard and quickly reorganized the team. While there are a series of cases of Ghana's coach Otto Addo and Morocco's coach Walid Legragi dropping out due to poor performance or public pressure, the World Cup is also a fierce survival scene for coaches who constantly waver between tactical perfection and immediate results.

The competition between Messi and Mbappe, who are the only active players to be named in the top 10 World Cup legends of all time selected by the BBC, is the core narrative that runs through this tournament. The two players, who stand alongside legends of the era such as Pele, Maradona, and Ronaldo, are now running toward different destinations, representing Argentina and France, respectively. Messi is looking to end his last World Cup in glory, while Mbappe is ready to reach his peak and make a new era his own. As they approach the huge wall of Klose's 16 goals, their scoring competition will go beyond simple individual records and become a huge drama that symbolizes how the history of soccer is changing generations.